Broad commercialization of renewable transportation fuels and chemicals produced from biomass has been hindered by several significant challenges. The first challenge is managing the high commercial cost of transporting biomass for processing. Second, bio-oils produced from known methods typically produce very poor quality oil, which must be significantly upgraded via expensive and complex processes, including through the use of precious metal catalysts and very high pressures. Third, known processes used to break down biomass can result in the formation of large amounts of char, which itself is a waste product and can cause technical challenges such as reactor plugging. Fourth, the spent pulping or fractionation liquors produced by dissolving mostly lignin and hemicellulose from lignocellulosic biomass to release cellulosic fibers, have been considered too complex in nature for whole conversion to liquid duels and chemicals, and therefore there are presently mostly burned for recovery of energy and pulping chemicals. Due to these and other challenges and disadvantages, widespread use of biomass to produce renewable fuel and other chemicals has not reached broad acceptance.